"I just wanted to cry. I was so amazed -- it's such a beautiful animal and was really cool to see one in person," Tomlinson told Fox Wednesday about her reaction, adding it took her roughly 30 minutes to reel in the creature.

The shark was just over 8-feet long. (South Texas Fishing Association)

Tomlinson, who catches and releases sharks with her husband on a volunteer basis for the Marine Biology Department at Texas A&M University, said she enjoys representing women in a heavily male-dominated sport.

“You rarely see women fish for big sharks,” she said, “It’s really cool to see more women do more with the fish.”

The news comes after scientists with the University of California Irvine and Florida International University announced earlier this monththey have identified the first omnivorous shark species.